West Branch unions, board come to contract agreements

West Branch Classified Education Association and West Branch Education Association have reached agreement with the West Branch Board of Education to extend the teachers’ and classified staff members’ current contracts for another two years.

The current contracts expire June 30.

Under the agreement, teachers and classified workers — cooks, custodians, aides and bus drivers — will receive no increase in their base salaries, which they have not received over the last two years, either.

The employees also agreed to contribute 10 percent more to their health-insurance premiums. This will increase when health-care costs increase.

If there is a savings in health-care premiums, the employees of the district will share the savings to offset health-care costs.

West Branch teachers have a starting salary of $30,212 — the second lowest in Mahoning County.